By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI: “भारत में विभिन्न खनिजों के विशाल भंडार हैं, जिनका पुरानी प्रतिगामी व्यवस्था के चलते अभी तक वास्तविक क्षमता के साथ उपयोग नहीं हो पाया है।लेकिन अब खनिज सुधारों से इन खनिजों का राष्ट्र-निर्माण में समुचित उपयोग हो सकेगा। @AshwiniVaishnaw#MineralReforms,” Office of Union Mines, Coal and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi tweeted @PralhadJoshiOfc on Tuesday morning.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former Odisha cadre IAS officer, Ashwini Vaishnaw has claimed that the reforms initiative taken up by the Union Mines Ministry, that passed in both houses of Parliament, will alone create 1 Crore Jobs in the mineral and coal bearing State of Odisha.
Participating in a debate on Mining Reforms Bills in Rajya Sabha, said Odisha can produce 10 Million Tons of aluminium with an investment of Rs.50,000 Crore as the State has huge deposit of bauxite. The BJP MP from Odisha said the Ministry of Mines allocated two failed auctioned mines in favor of State PSU, Odisha Mining Corporation within 20 days of the request of the State Government.
The BJP MP from Odisha citing Prime Minister’s ‘Mission Purvodaya’ said, the State is going to fetch Rs 10 Lakh Crore investment and it will create around 1 Crore jobs in this eastern Indian State. The BJP also said Odisha will be able to produce 100 Million tons of Steel and it will attract Rs.5 Lakh Crore of Investment adding Odisha can produce 10 Million ton of Rare Earth, he added.
Meanwhile, earlier, soon after the Parliament passing Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines and BJP Lawmaker from Karnataka’s Dharwad constituency, Pralhad Joshi on Monday said that these reforms will make mineral mining sustainable and drive economic activities in the country.
“With the Parliament passing Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021, stage is set for big-bang reforms in the mining sector. These reforms will make mineral mining sustainable and drive economic activities in the country.#Mineral Reforms,”Union Minister Pralhad Joshi tweeted @JoshiPralhad.
“With its passage in Rajya Sabha, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2021 stands passed by both Houses of Parliament. It is a step towards attaining mineral security of the nation. I thank all Members who voted in favour of the Bill. #MineralReforms,” Joshi said in another tweet.
“We want to bring private players into this because we have rich minerals like coal, gold, silver, but we are not being able to bring it out. That’s why we are bringing these changes and trying to redefine exploration,” Union mines minister Pralhad Joshi said in Parliament.
Assuring members in Rajya Sabha, Joshi said the “progressive” bill will not curb the powers of states while creating more jobs. “I assure you that not a single iota of power of the states will be snatched or taken away by this bill.” Joshi also responded to the opposition’s call for a select committee probe on the bill.
“Wide consultations on the bill were held. The bill was circulated to states and 10,500 comments were received. As many as 10 associations and six NGOs had recorded their comments,” the minister said. “As many as 143 mines have been given to states. Since 2015, these mines are with them. Neither those were allotted nor auctioned. Who suffered the loss? We are importing coal despite having the 4th largest resource of coal,” Joshi stated.
